There was an air of great excitement among the young residents and staff at the Sunbeam Children’s Home in Bushy Park, St. Catherine, as IGT Jamaica proudly handed over a fully equipped computer lab on July 18, 2019.
The donation is the 14th computer facility to be handed over in Jamaica, under IGT’s flagship After School Advantage (ASA) programme. The programme helps to close the gap that still exists between young people who can easily access modern information and computer technology and those that cannot. The after-school hours are critical learning periods for Jamaican students to accomplish their homework tasks and conduct online research.
“Our focus is on education – it is transformative,” said Desmond Whitley, Manager at Sunbeam Children’s Home. Noting that the home previously had no computers, he said that the ASA centre would be especially important for homework assignments. “We have a homework programme, but it is impossible to do without computers, especially for the boys taking the CSEC examinations,” Said Whitley.
As the 14th existing ASA centre, the home now has a fully functional computer lab consisting of six desktop computers and a printer. IGT Jamaica’s General Manager Debbie Green said, “We are delighted to establish a centre here in the safe and nurturing environment that Sunbeam provides for the boys. This new ASA centre will give the students access to a new world of information and technology that will take them into a realm of unexplored possibilities for their future. At IGT Jamaica, we realize the importance of inclusiveness. It is critical for all our young people to be on board with the digital world of the future.”
Whitley said that the Home plans to integrate the computer lab into its Home School Programme, which provides education for around 20 students with learning challenges. “These boys study here during the day, while the other students are at school,” he pointed out. “Thus, the ASA centre will do double duty as a daytime learning site and will benefit all who live in our residential home.”
Sunbeam Children’s Home was founded in 1976 by Rev. Cedric Lue to provide care and nurture for young boys and to teach them Christian principles. It is a non-governmental organisation, part of the Sunbeam Association for Mission, and depends on support from missionaries, volunteers and donations from the public. Sunbeam currently provides a home for 65 boys, providing teaching along with Christian principles, while helping the boys to learn life and coping skills.
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